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el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:26 AM Jun 2014

If you believed a Candidate was a Believing Christian, would you be more or less likely to vote

for that candidate? To be clear - your assessment of their statements and personal life is that they genuinely believe in a Christian faith.

Also this assumes all other things being equal - they generally had correct positions on the issues. They supported a woman's right to chose and they supported marriage equality specifically.

Bryant


9 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
Much More Likely
0 (0%)
More Likely
0 (0%)
Somewhat More Likely
0 (0%)
Wouldn't affect me one way or the other
4 (44%)
Somewhat Less Likely
2 (22%)
Less Likely
0 (0%)
Much Less Likely
2 (22%)
I like to vote!
1 (11%)
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If you believed a Candidate was a Believing Christian, would you be more or less likely to vote (Original Post) el_bryanto Jun 2014 OP
I am unable to envision such a choice. Coventina Jun 2014 #1
Well it's a hypthotical question - el_bryanto Jun 2014 #3
it depends on what kind of believing Christian yurbud Jun 2014 #2
Exactly. OnionPatch Jun 2014 #9
the last time we had anything close to that was Reagan vs Carter yurbud Jun 2014 #4
if they supported the slaughter of Iraqi's and soldiers, then they are no Christian Whisp Jun 2014 #5
issues and actions /nt think Jun 2014 #6
I have no use for religion in general, and a special distaste for christianity... mike_c Jun 2014 #7
Ditto n/t MANative Jun 2014 #8
Public professions of faith for political purposes are unappealing to me. stevenleser Jun 2014 #10
What does Religion have to do with Politics, they are two different entities. dilby Jun 2014 #11
Imho, more religious --> less rational Bonx Jun 2014 #16
As long as they're capable of keeping their faith out of public policy NuclearDem Jun 2014 #12
I have to wonder what bigotries and excuses are being hidden... Orsino Jun 2014 #13
If I had the choice between a good candidate who's a believer, and a good candidate Arugula Latte Jun 2014 #14
No. I will not vote for anyone who genuinely believes in a Christian faith. Zorra Jun 2014 #15
Would you vote for someone who believed in Santa Clause? NightWatcher Jun 2014 #17
Every President in US history has been a Christan BainsBane Jun 2014 #18
Every Prez has claimed to be a christian. I would hope that some were just saying NightWatcher Jun 2014 #19
Good point BainsBane Jun 2014 #21
Lincoln's closest associates described him as a skeptical rationalist. LeftyMom Jun 2014 #22
No national candidate who claims 'faith' has supported choice and equality throughout their Bluenorthwest Jun 2014 #20

Coventina

(26,874 posts)
1. I am unable to envision such a choice.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:32 AM
Jun 2014

When you say that ALL other things are equal, I can't imagine two candidates being equal except that one is Christian and one is not.
Is the other candidate a person of faith? That could possibly affect the choice.

I would say that when I vote, I usually do not care about the person's personal religious beliefs, only their stance on policies is at issue for me. It would be hard for me to choose if the two candidates were exactly alike on policies. I would probably base my choice on experience or education or other factors before considering religion, if ever.

el_bryanto

(11,804 posts)
3. Well it's a hypthotical question -
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:34 AM
Jun 2014

A thought experiment more or less.

And everybody is influenced by different thoughts and ideas, if two candidates seem very close together in positions (as sometimes happens in primaries) - you look at other things - their history for one but also how they make decisions. And the religion question could play into that.

Bryant

OnionPatch

(6,169 posts)
9. Exactly.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:55 AM
Jun 2014

There are a lot of progressive Christians who hold values similar to my own. Most don't take the Bible literally and they usually focus on the teachings of Jesus Christ rather than the punitive passages of the Old Testament. I have no problem voting for that kind of Christian.

yurbud

(39,405 posts)
4. the last time we had anything close to that was Reagan vs Carter
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:35 AM
Jun 2014

since then, we've gotten variations of Elmer Gantry Baby Bush at worst, and those who keep mostly quiet about it at best.

 

Whisp

(24,096 posts)
5. if they supported the slaughter of Iraqi's and soldiers, then they are no Christian
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:36 AM
Jun 2014

Jesus Christ would not approve and we all know that.

Fake Christians are the bane of history.

mike_c

(36,214 posts)
7. I have no use for religion in general, and a special distaste for christianity...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:51 AM
Jun 2014

...so the first time a candidate starts babbling about their faith they've pretty much lost my support. I can imagine self professed christian candidates I might still support, but they would have to be fire breathing populist progressives with real leftist platforms. I don't see many of those emerging these days.

 

stevenleser

(32,886 posts)
10. Public professions of faith for political purposes are unappealing to me.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:57 AM
Jun 2014

If I found out from researching, no big deal. If the candidate is mentioning it in their stump speeches, my preference is to choose someone else. All things being equal.

dilby

(2,273 posts)
11. What does Religion have to do with Politics, they are two different entities.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 11:59 AM
Jun 2014

Tony Campolo once said, "Mixing religion and politics is like mixing ice cream and manure. It doesn't do much to the manure but it sure does ruin the ice cream" and I have to agree with him.

Orsino

(37,428 posts)
13. I have to wonder what bigotries and excuses are being hidden...
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 12:02 PM
Jun 2014

...behind any candidate's invocation of the large umbrella of Christianity. I have to wonder what evidence or lack thereof s/he will act on.

I shouldn't necessarily feel this way, but in American politics far too many objective evils are carried out in the name of Christian faith. "Faith" and "values" are words so often tossed about that they have lost meaning.

 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
14. If I had the choice between a good candidate who's a believer, and a good candidate
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 12:56 PM
Jun 2014

who is an atheist, and their positions are the same on the issues, I'd go for the atheist, because to me that shows a person who is invested in rationality and not in magical thinking.

Zorra

(27,670 posts)
15. No. I will not vote for anyone who genuinely believes in a Christian faith.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:09 PM
Jun 2014

I'm sick of stupid ass people who believe in books and religions.

I would have no problem voting for someone who believes in some form of higher power, like Love, for instance.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
18. Every President in US history has been a Christan
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:17 PM
Jun 2014

and while we might get a Jew as President, chances of electing an atheist anytime soon aren't great. Looks like you've left yourself with no one to vote for.

NightWatcher

(39,343 posts)
19. Every Prez has claimed to be a christian. I would hope that some were just saying
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:22 PM
Jun 2014

what they thought people wanted to hear.

I do know that there have been many who were devout christians, Jimmy Carter for example, but I doubt that people like GHWB and GWB really believed in a higher power. The Bushes sure as Hell didn't live or preside as though they had the same values as Christ was purported to represent.

I don't claim to know (or want to know) what is in the politician's heart and mind.

BainsBane

(53,003 posts)
21. Good point
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:26 PM
Jun 2014

and particularly relevant to Hillary Clinton's recent comment. Why people have decided that comment was anything but poltico-speak, I have no idea.

LeftyMom

(49,212 posts)
22. Lincoln's closest associates described him as a skeptical rationalist.
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:38 PM
Jun 2014

He was raised in a religious home, was interested in religions and spoke in biblical allusions when it suited his rhetorical purposes, but nobody who knew him well thought of him as a believer in more than a vague, deistic sense. Most didn't go that far.

And most of the founders were deists (which was as close to irreligion as people generally got in those days.)

 

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)
20. No national candidate who claims 'faith' has supported choice and equality throughout their
Mon Jun 16, 2014, 01:23 PM
Jun 2014

careers. So this is a huge hypothetical. I've never voted for a national candidate who had not insulted LGBT people and claimed his God wanted us insulted. Obama 'I'm a Christian, so one man, one woman. God is in the mix'.
So show me this political Christian who consistently supports equality and choice and we can talk. As it stands, your question might as well be 'would you vote for a flying beagle?' Maybe, if there was such a thing....

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